BlueCycle

An important issue, brought to light in the eye-opening Netflix documentary Seaspiracy, is the damage to our marine eco system caused by fishing nets. Ghost nets are huge bundles of abandoned or lost fishing nets that float freely in the sea, entrapping and entangling a vast number of vulnerable marine species. BlueCycle, based in Athens, are committed to collecting this plastic waste from the fishing industry which sadly can be found throughout the islands and shoreline of Greece.

Using a certified procedure, the collected marine plastic waste is transformed into pellets, and from here can create a new, high-quality material. With the help of a robotic 3D printer, the material can be created into wonderful objects for the home – such as sculptural vases and woven plant pots, and larger items such as curved bar stools, sun loungers and coffee tables. The opportunities for using this high-quality material is just beginning, and in consultation with Greek companies could be used in a variety of industries.

The story of BlueCycle began in 2017 with a meeting of minds between the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation, a cultural institution that promotes historical and nautical research and The New Raw, who are an innovative company that craft plastic waste using robots.

The foundation began to raise public awareness on the issue of ghost nets by funding a documentary called Second Nature, by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Daphne Matziaraki which then gathered momentum for a project to deal directly with the issue of marine waste. Bringing on board The New Raw and canvassing ideas from other environmental organisations, BlueCycle began the task in hand – removing fishing nets from the ocean and taking them to be processed at the BlueCycle Lab run by The New Raw, in Piraeus. Recognition and awards have followed including a nomination from global environmental award The Earthshot Prize.